How To Qualify For The US Open

The third Major of the year comes from Oakmont in 2025, where the field will take on a challenge regularly regarded as one of the toughest in golf, as the USGA traditionally sets up the course to test even those at the very top of their game.

Like the PGA Championship and The Open, there are typically 156 players in the field for the US Open, but how do they qualify?

All four Majors hand various perks for winning the trophy, arguably the biggest being a spot in the field for many years to come. However, while The Masters and the PGA Championship hand winners lifetime exemptions and The Open guarantees the winner a place until they turn either 55 or 60, depending on when they lifted the Claret Jug, the US Open only ensures the champion a place for the next 10 years. Regardless, it's still the best ways to claim a place at the Major.

The second best way is to win one of the other three Majors. Doing that is enough to ensure a spot in the next five US Opens. Similarly, the winner of The Players Championship is exempt for the next three editions.

The previous year's winner of the DP World Tour's flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, also takes a spot for the following year along with players who finish in the top 10 and ties of the previous year's US Open.

Veterans can also get in on the action thanks to an exemption category that sees the winner of the Senior US Open gain a place in the next edition. In 2025, that honor goes to LIV Golf's Richard Bland, who followed his KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship win with victory in the Senior US Open in 2024 to book his place in the Major for the fourth time.

On the subject of LIV Golf, the USGA announced a groundbreaking exemption for players from the circuit for the 2025 edition, with the "top player who is not otherwise exempt and in the top 3 of the 2025 LIV Golf Individual Standings as of May 19."

There are ways for top amateurs to make the field, too, with places handed to the US Amateur champion and runner-up, as well as the winners of The Amateur, the US Junior Amateur, the US Mid Amateur and the Latin America Amateur .

The top-ranked amateur golfer in the world is awarded the Mark H. McCormack Medal, and the previous year's recipient also makes the field. In 2024, that honor went to Luke Clanton, who impressed by finishing T41 at that year's US Open. There's also a place for the winner of the biggest college golf tournament, the NCAA Division I Championship.

Winners of multiple PGA Tour events between the previous US Open and the next also qualify provided they offer 500 of more FedEx Cup points, while whenever the US Open falls the year after the Olympics, the reigning men's gold medalist also takes a spot. In 2025, that applies to Scottie Scheffler, although he had already guaranteed his place thanks to his two Masters wins.

Players who qualified for the previous year's Tour Championship are in the field, too, along with players in the top five of the FedEx Cup standings on 19 May. The top two in the 2024 Race to Dubai Rankings also qualify, as well as the player topping the list on 19 May.

anyone in the top 60 of the world rankings two weeks before the start of the US Open and at the start of the tournament.

Since 2023, there has also been a Korn Ferry Tour exemption, with the top player in the previous year's Points List earning a place.

There are also special exemptions selected by the USGA, something awarded to Tiger Woods in 2024.

Players can also go through Regional and Final Qualifying to earn a place - an option open to pros and amateurs alike, as long as they have a handicap index of 1.4 or lower can enter.

Any gaps by the second top 60 OWGR cut-off date filled by alternates from qualifying tournaments.

Below if the full qualification and exemption criteria per the official USGA website.

HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE US OPEN

1. Winners of the US Open in the last 10 years
2. The top 10 and ties of the 2024 US Open
3. Winner of the 2024 US Senior Open
4. Winner of the 2024 US Amateur Championship
5. Winners of the 2024 US Junior Amateur and US Mid-Amateur Championships, and the 2024 US Amateur runner-up (must be an amateur)
6. Winners of The Masters between 2020 and 2025
7. Winners of the PGA Championship between 2021 and 2025
8. Winners of The Open between 2021 and 2024
9. Winners of The Players Championship between 2023 and 2025
10. Winner of the 2024 BMW PGA Championship
11. Those players who qualified and were eligible for the season-ending 2024 Tour Championship
12. Multiple winners of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation for the FedExCup, from the conclusion of the 2024 US Open to the 2025 US Open
13. The top 5 players in the 2025 FedExCup standings as of May 19, 2025
14. The points leader from the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour season using combined points earned on the Official Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points Standings and points earned in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals
15. The top two players from the final 2024 Race to Dubai Rankings
16. The top player on the 2025 Race to Dubai Rankings as of May 19, 2025
17. Winner of the 2024 Amateur Championship (must be an amateur)
18. Winner of the 2024 Mark H. McCormack Medal (must be an amateur)
19. Winner of the 2025 NCAA Division I Championship (must be an amateur)
20. Winner of the 2025 Latin America Amateur Championship (must be an amateur)
21. Top 60 and ties of the Official World Golf Ranking as at May 19, 2025
22. Top 60 and ties of the Official World Golf Ranking as at 9 June, 2025
23. Winner of the 2024 Olympic gold medal
24. The top player who is not otherwise exempt and in the top 3 of the 2025 LIV Golf Individual Standings as of May 19, 2025
25. Special exemptions selected by the USGA